Continuously burying plow for pipe and the like



y 9, 1968 F. H. LINNEMAN 3,391,545

CONTINUOUSLY BURYING PLOW FOR PIPE AND THE LIKE Filed April 20, 1966 2Sheets-Sheet 1 film" INVENTOR.

FRED H. LINNEMAN ATTORNEYS CONTINUOUSLY BURYING PLOW FOR PIPE AND THELIKE Filed April 20, 1966 July 9, 1968 F. H. LINNEMAN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. FRED H. LINNEMAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,391,545CONTINUOUSLY BURYING PLOW FOR PIPE AND THE LIKE Fred H. Linneman, 1300Harlan St., Wheatridge, Colo. 80215 Filed Apr. 20, 1966, Ser. No.543,833 6 Claims. (Cl. 6172.6)

This invention relates to devices for laying pipe and tubing or the likein plowed but essentially unexcavated underground trenches.

The device of the invention is a front mounted earth plow or ripperwhich is arranged to be mounted on a prime mover, preferably acrawler-type tractor, and the device is arranged to lay a continuouslength of pipe or tubing into the bottom of the unexcavated, narrowditch made by the plow or ripper. The plow loosens the earth, forming anunexcavated ditch of minimum width and with a minimum furrow of loosenedearth thrown out of the ditch. Back-fill blades may be mounted on thesupport frame near the plow to move the small amount of furrow ofloosened earth back into the plow line and a packer may be mounted onthe prime mover to tamp the loose earth. During the ripping operation, along length of pipe or tubing which is essential continuous is laid inthe bottom of the unexcavated ditch which normally runs along a surveyline. Initially, pipe or tubing in a continuous length is laid on theground along the survey or other direction line. The pipe or tubing isfed through a feeder tube attached to the plow and is continuouslydeposited beneath the earth into the bottom of the unexcavated ditch asthe prime mover travels along its course. In many soils the ditch isplowed, the tubing is laid into the ditch, back-filled and tamped in onepass, thereby reducing the cost of installing the line. Means may beprovided to additionally lay a finder wire along with plastic tubing forsubsequently locating the tubing by a metal detector.

Among the objects and advantages of the present invention is to providea device arranged for a one-pass plowing, pipe or tube installingunderground, back-filling and tamping operation. The device of theinvention includes a front mounted plow and conduit-laying means whichpermits close control of the operation and in addition permits laying aconduit very closely to an obstacle. The plow is provided with anenlarged rounded leading edge which has a reduced resistance to theearth. Additionally, means are provided for laying a finder wire alongwith plastic tubing in the bottom of an unexcavated ditch or trench topermit subsequent location of the pipe.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention may be readilyascertained by referring to the following description and appendedillustrations, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, generally schematic, of a deviceaccording to the invention illustrating the operation of the device inlaying pipe or tubing underground;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the leading edge of the ripper ofthe device of FIG. 1 taken along section lines 3-3;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the plow and pipe laying feeder tubetaken along section line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the plow taken along section lines55 of FIG. 1.

In the illustrations, letter A indicates in general a crawler-typetractor which is arranged with endless treads and 12. The treads aremounted on drive bogies for movement of the tractor. A dozer yoke 14 ispivotally mounted by pivots 16 and 18 on opposite sides of the vehiclePatented July 9, 1968 and hydraulic cylinders 20 and 22 are arranged toraise and lower the yoke 14. Such dozer yokes are conventionalequipment, and the particular one as shown with the rounded front orleading edge is arranged to support an angle dozer. Square front endyokes are, also, used for straight-on dozers. A boxed-in triangularshaped frame 24 is mounted on the dozer yoke and is secured by pin 26 inthe middle. Where desired for strength, a pair of clamps near the outerend of the frame may be used. The boxed-in frame 24 is shown in crosssection in FIG. 4 and includes side channels 26 and 28 extending fromthe forward end to the rear end thereof and top plates 30 and 32complete the box. A ripper tooth 34 or other upright extends through thefront end of the box frame to a lower point therebelow. A tubular member56 is slotted from end to end and placed over the leading edge of theupright 34 by welds 38 as shown in FIG. 3. The bottom of the tubularmember 36 is closed at 40. A feeder tube 44 is welded to the tooth 34and extends forwardly at an angle extending upwardly in front of the boxframe 24 and downwardly and rearwardly of the upright 34 below the boxframe 24.

As shown in FIG. 5, the feeder tube 44- is welded on the side of thetooth 34. The feeder tube may, also, pass through the tooth 34, as bycutting the tooth and welding the tube 44 between the two ends of thetooth. The positioning of the tube is preferably arranged with minimumbend and sufficient strength of the unit for its in tended use. A plate46 which is somewhat of a triangular shape is welded along one side tothe box frame generally center-wise thereof and to the tooth 34. Theplate extends from the apex toward the base of the box frame, and thebottom edge 47 of the plate is welded to the feeder tube 44. The end ofthe plate 46 terminates adjacent the end 43 of the feeder tube 44.Another plate 55 of generally triangular configuration is welded alongone of its sides to the bottom of the feeder tube 47 and one of itsother sides to the back of the upright 34. The assembly of the twoplates in the feeder pipe makes a thin plow blade extending rearwardlyfrom a leading edge 36.

The feed end of the feed tube 4-7 is provided with a funnel-like member52 into which a pipe or tube 53 may be easily fed. The pipe or tubepasses through the feeder tube and out the outlet 48 into the bottom ofthe unexcavated trench. The feeder tube is provided with a slight bendadjacent the outlet end 48 so that feeder tube is substantially levelfor laying the pipe or tube 53 into the ditch cut by the plow.

A pair of back-fill scraper blades 56 and 58 are welded to the box frameat about its base and are pointed inwardly so as to scrape any furrowwhich may be thrown out of an unexcavated ditch by the action of theplow.

A yoke 69 is mounted by pivot pins 62 and 64 at the rear of the tractorA, and an axle 66 provides means for holding a roller 68 which followsin the plow line to tamp the loose dirt in the unexcavated ditch. Theroller may be weighted or hydraulic cylinders attached to the yoke armsfor raising the roller and for applying pressure on the roller for thetamping operation. Additionally, the roller may be a sheeps foot rolleror a smooth roller as desired by the user.

The conduit burying machine may be used with threaded or welded pipe injoined lengths or with other types of conduit which includes plastictubing, electric conduit or the like. When plastic tubing is laid in theunexcavated ditch, a finder wire is normally laid with the plastictubing so that it may be found at a later date by a metal detector. Forpurposes of laying a finder wire, a reel 70 is mounted on a yoke-likeframe 72 which is attached to the outer or feeder end of the feed tube42.

The reel is rotatably mounted on a reel pin 74 on the frame. A feederwire 76 on a spool is then attached to the end of the plastic tubingbefore it is fed to the feed tube 44 and the finder wire unreels and. islaid side by side with the plastic tubing passing through the feed tube.

The frame of the device of the invention may be made to be accommodatedon a round end dozer bar or a square end dozer bar by changing theconfiguration of the box frame 24 to fit the particular unit. Theoperation of the device is the same in either case.

In the operation of the device, a line of pipe or conduit is laid alonga predetermined course, usually a surveyed course in a road right-of-wayor the like. The tractor is brought into position and the pipe or tubingis fed through the feed tube to where its end comes out of the end 48.The frame is lowered and the tractor is moved forward so that the plowmoves down into the earth ripping an unexcavated trench. During movementof the ripper or plow through the earth, a small furrow may be raisedand some earth thrown out of the unexcavated ditch along both sidesthereof. The backfill scraper blades scrape any furrow back into theditch line and as the tractor passes along its course, the roller 68tamps the earth, thereby providing a one-pass operation for burying suchconduit, cable or the like.

In many soils, the device may be used as a one-pass operation; however,in some soils which are especially heavy and tight, a tractor with astraight ripper teeth may be necessary for initially ripping at least apart of the unexcavated trench. The device of the invention may thenfollow along the unexcavated trench, laying the pipe or the tubing downin the bottom of the unexcavated Y trench, backfilling the furrow intothe trench and then packing the trench.

Since the plow is in front of the tractor, positive control may bemaintained over the operation by the operator of the tractor and theplow may be made to run accurately along the survey line. Additionally,the ripper may be moved very closely to an obstacle, decreasing theamount of hand labor necessary adjacent such an obstacle. The frameconstruction withstands the extreme lateral pressures involved in theturning movements of the tractor as it follows the course line. Inaddition, the device may be made in various sizes to accommodate varioussizes of pipe or tubing.

While the invention has been illustrated by reference to a particularembodiment, there is no intent to limit the spirit or scope of theinvention to precise details so set forth except as defined in thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. Equipment for buying continuous lengths of pipe or the like, incombination with a prime mover; frame means pivotally mounted on saidprime mover providing front mount bars means; plow support frame meansmounted on said bar means and extending forwardly of said prime mover;an elongated, thin-profile plow means mounted adjacent the forward partof said support frame means and extending downwardly therefrom; pipefeeder means extending forwardly of said plow means at its forward feedend and rearwardly thereof at its discharge end, said pipe feeder meansbeing mounted at an angle to said plow means from the upper feed end tothe lower discharge end; upper and lower reinforcing plates welded tosaid frame means and to the upper and lower sides of said pipe feedermeans respectively, said reinforcing plates extending from said plowmeans to about the rear of said frame means; means for raising andlowering said frame means from an upper inoperative to a lower plowposition; and a rounded cover mounted over the leading edge of said plowmeans covering at least the earth contacting portion thereof.

2. Equipment according to claim 1 wherein a pair of backfill blades aremounted adjacent the rear of said frame means in position to scrape anyfurrow raised by said plow means back into the unexcavated ditch.

3. Equipment according to claim 2 wherein a tamping roller is mounted onsaid prime mover in position to tamp earth in the plow line loosened bysaid plow, providing a one pass operation.

4. Equipment according to claim 2 wherein a wire reel is mountedadjacent the feed end of said pipe feeder means in position tosimulatneously feed a finder wire with pipe passing through said feedmeans.

5. Equipment according to claim 2 wherein said backfill bladespositioned at an angle to each other with their forward ends extendingforwardly.

6. Equipment according to claim 1 wherein said pipe feeder means has anoutwardly flared feed end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,909,134- 10/1959 Kniefel 6l72.63,170,301 2/1965 Kelley 6l-72.6 3,300,989 1/1967 Reising 6l72.6

EARL I. WITMER, Primary Examiner.

1. EQUIPMENT FOR BUYING CONTINUOUS LENGTHS OF PIPE OR THE LIKE, INCOMBINATION WITH A PRIME MOVER; FRAME MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAIDPRIME MOVER PROVIDING FRONT MOUNT BARS MEANS; PLOW SUPPORT FRAME MEANSMOUNTED ON SAID BAR MEANS AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY OF SAID PRIME MOVER;AN ELONGATED, THIN-PROFILE PLOW MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT THE FORWARD PARTOF SAID SUPPORT FRAME MEANS AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFORM; PIPEFEEDER MEANS EXTENDING FORWARDLY OF SAID PLOW MEANS AT ITS FORWARD FEEDEND AND REARWARDLY THEREOF AT ITS DISCHARGE END, SAID PIPE FEEDER MEANSBEING MOUNTED AT AN ANGLE TO SAID PLOW MEANS FROM THE UPPER FEED END TOTHE